Giant Steps
View chords used in this chart
Bmaj7 D7 Gmaj7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 Am7 D7
B6/9 D6/9 Gmaj7 Bb13 Eb6/9 Am9 D6/9
E--14---10----7----------6-------7----5---
B--14---10----7-----8----6-------5----5---
G--13----9----7-----7----5-------5----4---
D--13----9----5-----6----5-------5----4---
A-----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------
Gmaj7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 F#7 Bmaj7 Fm7 Bb7
G6/9 Bb6/9 Ebmaj7 F#13 B6/9 Fm9 Bb9
E--10----6-----3-----------2------3----1--
B--10----6-----3------4----2------1----1--
G---9----5-----3------3----1------1----1--
D---9----5-----1------2----1------1----0--
A-----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------
Ebmaj7 Am7 D7 Gmaj7 C#m7 F#7 Bmaj7
Eb6/9 Am9 D6/9 G6/9 C#m9 F#9 B6/9
E--6------7---5----10----11---9-----14---
B--6------5---5----10-----9---9-----14---
G--5------5---4-----9-----9---9-----13---
D--5------5---4-----9-----9---8-----13---
A----------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------
Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 C#m7 F#7
Fm9 Bb13b9 Eb6/9 C#m11 F#13 repeat from beginning
E--15---15-----18-----14----14---
B--13---12-----18-----16----16---
G--13---13-----17-----16----15---
D--13---12-----17-----14----14---
A--------------------------------
E--------------------------------
To tie in with the discussion of picking technique, I pick these as
block chords using either all four fingers or the first three fingers
(no thumb, no arpeggiation). When I pick stuff like this, I do not
anchor my right hand at all, and I play over the sound hole. I can't
really solo over these changes(!), but it's fun just to play the head.
Enjoy
From: tgannon@charlie.usd.edu (spideir)
GIANT STEPS (John Coltrane): melody chords to "Head" chorus
--guitar arrangement: tcg, 1987
--4/4 // BM // Allegro (pretty quick)
--head so "jagged" and wide in its range, melody at times had to be
transposed up/down an octave. . . .
--fingerstyle or pick-&-3-fingers easiest; plectrum strums'll work
if yu' deaden "x" strings with sides of adjacent fingers. . . .
--note durations:
/ quarter note
/- eighth note /-. dotted eighth
/= sixteenth note
/_/_/_/ tied notes
[hey, _I_ understand it!--I think. . . .]
BM7 D7 GM7 Bb[7/]6 Eb[M7] Am9 D9
x_x___ x____x _x__xx x__oxx _x__xx xx____ xx____
2 |o|||o 3 ||||o| 3 o||||| 1 |o|||| 1 ||o||| 5 ||ooo| 4 ||o|||
|||o|| ||o||| ||oo|| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||ooo
||||o| |o|o|| |||||| ||o||| o||o|| |||||o ||||||
/ / / /-. /=_/_/ / /
GM7 Bb7/6 EbM7 F#7/6 BM7 Fm9 Bb7
x_x___ xx____ x____x x____x x_x___ x____x x____x
10 |o|||o 6 ||o||o 6 |o|||| 2 ||o||| 2 |o|||o 6 ||o||| 6 ||o|o|
|||o|| |||o|| |||o|| |||o|| |||o|| |||||| |||o||
||||o| ||||o| ||o|o| |o||o| ||||o| |o|oo| |o||||
/ / / /-. /=_/_/ / /-.
EbM7 Am9 D9 GM7 C#m9 F#7/6
x_x___ xx____ xx____ x_x___ x____x x____x
6 |o|||o 5 ||ooo| 4 ||o||| 10 |o|||o 2 ||o||| 2 ||o|||
|||o|| |||||| |||ooo |||o|| |||||| |||o||
||||o| |||||o |||||| ||||o| |o|oo| |o||o|
/=_/_/ / /-. /=_/_/ / /-.
BM7 Fm9 Bb7/6 EbM7 F#7/6
x_x___ x____x xx____ x_x___ x____x
2 |o|||o 6 ||o||| 6 ||o||| 6 |o|||o 2 ||o||o
|||o|| |||||| |||o|| |||o|| |||o|| D.C.
||||o| |o|oo| |o||o| ||||o| ||||o|
/=_/_/ / /-. /=_/_/ / /
*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
| Thomas C. Gannon | tgannon@charlie.usd.edu | U of SoDak (Vermillion) |
* ------------------------------- _-^-_ ------------------------------- *
| "--If I decide to practice a / o )=\ slight movement from right |
* to left . . . or from left { /===} to right . . . it's *
| nobody's business but my \ (=o=/ own." (_A_Day_for_Eeyore_) |
*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===* ^-_=^ *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
How to play Giant Steps
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Bmaj7. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.